Reglet assembly with spline connection therefor



April 19, 1966 ca. J. ERIKSSON 3,245,433

REGLET ASSEMBLY WITH SPLINE CONNECTION THEREFOR Filed Oct. 2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 58 62 GEORGE J-ERIKSSON BY 2 Z April 19, 1966 G. J. ERIKSSON REGLET ASSEMBLY WITH SPLINE CONNECTION THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2, 1963 INVENTOR.

GEORGE J. ERIKSSON United States Patent 3,246,433 REGLET ASSEMBLY WITH SPLINE CGNNECTION THEREFOR George J. Eriksson, Morton Grove, IlL, assignor to Superior Concrete Accessories, Inc, Franklin Park, Iii,

a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 313,287 5 Claims. (CI. 52-98) The present invention relates to reglets which are secured to building walls in order to retain counterflashing in its proper position wherein it prevents seepage of moisture from vertical or inclined walls into the space beneath roofing materials that overlie or partially cover such walls.

The present invention is particularly concerned with reglets which are made from a soft extruded metal such, for example, as aluminum. While it was formerly common practice to produce reglets from rolled sheet metal, it is now customary to employ extruded metal reglets. These extruded metal reglets present installation problems which are not involved in connection with the earlier rolled sheet metal reglets, such problems arising b-y reason of the greater thickness and rigidity of the extruded metal reglets. For example, reglets are ordinarily manufactured and sold in sections of standard length so that in most installations where reglets are used, it is necessary to arrange several reglet sections in end-to-end relationship. Thus, to avoid seepage of moisture into the space between adjacent reglet sections, it is impossible to overlap the end edges of the sections as has previously been done in connection with the sheet metal type of reglets. To install these extruded metal reglets, it is necessary because of the greater thickness and rigidity of the sections, to abut the adjacent ends of the reglet sections in precise alignment with each other. The problems arising in connection with aligned and abutting extruded metal reglet sections are occasioned by thermal elongation and contraction of the sections due to temperature changes, such changes not only being seasonal, but occurring with comparative regularity from day to day, since in many localities, wide temperature differentials arise as between daytime and nighttime hours. If the reglet sections are installed in true end-to-end abutting relationship, thermal expansion of the reglets will, of course, create a buckling condition in the sections. It has, therefore, been necessary, when installing such extruded meta-l reglets, to create a slight space between each pair of adjacent ends of the reglet sections, thus allowing freedom of elongation of the sections when thermal expansion takes place. To do this, there has recently been devised a spline or splicing member in the form of an elongated flat plate or strip of sheet metal which is telescopically received within channel-shaped pairs .of guideways on the reglet sections. By slipping one end of a given spline into the guideways on one end of a reglet section and allowing the spline to remain partially projected from said end and, thereafter, slipping the other or projecting end oi the spline into the channel-shaped guideways on the adjacent end of another section, the two sections may then be brought into close proximity with each other and in aproximate alignment, after which the adjacent sections may be. nailed in position on the wall structure to which they are to be applied. The spline thus affords a 1ost-mot=ion or slip connection between the two adjacent reglet sections to take up any elongation which may occur in the sections.

The use of such splined-together reglet sections as has briefly been outlined above has not, in practice, proven altogether satisfactory, one disadvantage thereof being the inability of the spline to maintain the ad-ajcent reglet sections in true longitudinal alignment. Another disadvantage of such splined-together reglet sections resides in the lack of a means for accurately gauging the spacing distance between the adjacent reglet sections during the installation procedure, it being necessary for the workman to estimate the proper spacing distance between adjacent sections by eye and then resort to the nailing procedure with the hope that his sense of alignment will not be destroyed by the manipulations that are involved in nailing the reglet sections to the wall structure.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitations that are attendant upon the construction and use of conventional splined-together reglet sections, and toward this end, the invention contemplates the provision of a spline having associated therewith novel means for maintaining adjacent reglet sections in proper positions of longitudinal alignment preparatory to nailing either or both of them in position in a wall structure, such means also serving automatically to position or 10- cate the two adjacent reglet sections in proper spaced end-to-end relationship without necessitating measuring of the distance between the sections prior to nailing of the sections in position. By such an arrangement, the degree of skill which is required of a workman in installing the reglet sections is materially reduced and proper reglet installation may be accomplished in a comparatively short period of time.

The provision of a reglet assembly involving a novel spline of the character briefly outlined above being among the principal objects of the invention, another object is the provision of a spline having formed thereon a spacer lug which, during installation or connection to a pair of adjacent reglet sections, first limits the extent to which the spline may be inserted into the channel-shaped guideways on one reglet section and, secondly, limits the extent to which the other reglet section may be inserted over the projecting end of the installed or inserted spline, the lug ultimately maintaining a proper spacing between the adjacent opposed ends of the reglet sections. The lug, in addition to. functioning as a spacer member, also cooperates with an outstruck outwardly bowed web on the spline to inhibit longitudinal misalignment after the two reglet sections have once been moved to accurate positions of alignment, the lug being disposed at or near one longitudinal edge of the spline and the outwardly bowed web being disposed at the other longitudinal edge of the spline. The log, functioning as a stop member, positively pre vents sliding movement of one pair of aligned longitudinal edges of adjacent reglet sections into too close a relationship, while the web serves not only to inhibit such sliding movement of the other pair of aligned longitudinal edges of the associated reglet sections into too close a relationship, but also functionally to hold the two sections in connected relation to the end that they may be readily installed. The lug may thus be employed as a gauging or measuring element which, after a first pair of mating or aligned longitudinal edges of the reglet sections are brought into contact therewith, will serve as a gauge for visual estimation of the proper distance to be maintained between the other pair of mating or aligned to allow for such thermal expansion without initiating buckling of either reglet section.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reglet assembly which comprises adjacent reglet sections and a connecting spline and in which the channel-shaped guide- Ways which receive the spline are formed on the front faces of the reglet sections so that they are more readily accessible for spline manipulation than has heretofore been possible. By such an arrangement, it is possible during a given installation procedure, first, to nail one of a pair of adjacent or end-to-end reglet sections on a wall structure, secondly, to install, conveniently and with full access, the spline in position in the nailed section, and thereafter, again conveniently and with full access, to install the second reglet section over the projecting or free end of the spline preparatory to nailing the second section in position on the wall structure. Heretofore, where the channel-shaped guideways which receive the spline were formed on the rear faces of the reglet sections, considerable interference to such insertion of the spline into the first-nailed reglet section, and to such insertion of the second reglet section over the installed spline, was offered by the existence of the usual sealing compound. With the channel-shaped guideways on the front faces of the reglet sections, no such opposition is encountered.

The provision in a reglet assembly of a connecting spline which is of simple one-piece construction and, therefore, may be manufactured at a low cost; which readily lends itself to a simple stamping operation in its manufacture; and which is capable of being easily converted at the scene of installation to use for spacing corner-forming reglet sections, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention,

. Other objects and advantages of the invention not at this time enumerated will readily suggest themselves as the following description ensues.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the adjacent end regions of a pair of end-to-end reglet sections, showing the same detached from a wall structure but operatively held in their positions of alignment by means of the improved spline of the present invention, and with a section of counterflashing applied thereto but broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the improved spline;

FIG. 4 is a reduced, fragmentary, front perspective, exploded view of a plurality of reglet sections and cortnecting splines therefor, the view embodying an inside corner joint between one pair of adjacent reglet sections;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to FIG. 4, a portion of an exemplary reglet assembly embodying the principles of the present invention has been designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and comprises three reglet sections 12, 14 and 16, each of which is fragmentarily illustrated. These three sections, when considered collectively, constitute elements of an over-all reglet assembly which is adapted to be associated with, and applied to the walls of a building. The usual counter-flashing which is associated with the reglet sections 12, 14 and 16 has not been illustrated in FIG. 2 in the interests of clarity, but portions of such counterflashing appear in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6 and have been designated by the reference numeral 20. The various reglet sections are interconnected at adjacent ends by two splines 22. The adjacent reglet sections 14 and 16 are disposed in end-to-end alignment for positioning along a flat wall surface, while the reglet sections 12 and 14 are positioned in end-to-end relationship but at an angle of 90 with respect to each other for positioning at an inside corner of two similarly disposed wall surfaces. One of the splines 22 is flat to accommodate the sections 14 and 16, while the other spline is of identical design but is bent medially of its ends to accommodate the sections 12 and 14 in a manner that will be made clear presently.

Each reglet section is in the form of a length of extruded metal stock, preferably aluminum, and the details thereof are best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Each reglet section includes a top channel part 30 which is formed integrally with a depending bracket part 32. The channel part 30 includes an upper longitudinally extending flange 34 and a lower underlying longitudinally eX- tending flange 36. Both flanges slant forwardly and downwardly and the two flanges are generally of slight divergence. The upper flange 34 is formed with a further inclined retaining lip 38 which assists in maintaining the upper regions of the counterflashing 2% in position within the channel part in a manner that will be set forth presently. The upper region of the bracket part 32 merges with the channel part 30 and includes a vertical wall 40 having rearwardly extending upper and lower flanges 42 and 44. Between these flanges, there is adapted to be positioned an elongated elastomeric or other suitable sealing strip 45, the strip filling the cavity existing between the two flanges 42 and 44 and being interposed between the vertical wall 40 of the bracket part 32 and the roof wall surface 46 on which the reglet section is installed. The sealing strip 45 may be mushed under compression within the cavity so as to exclude the entrance of moisture into the region behind the reglet section. A series of nails 47 passes through the vertical wall 40 and the sealing strip 45 and holds the reglet section in position on the wall surfaces 46.

The counterflashing 20 may be of conventional design and no claim is made herein to any novelty associated with the same. This counterflashing is in the form of a horizontally elongated sheet of metal, the top edge region of which is bent to form a reentrant lip 48. The latter is frictionally received within the channel part 30 of each reglet section. The upper portion of the lip 48 is rein forced by the provision of folded edge portion50. When the reentrant lip 48 is operatively received within the channel part 30, the sides of the lip bear against the flanges 34 and 36 and the bight portion or intermediate portion of the lip 48 rests against the bottom of the channel part. The lip 38 on the upper flange 34 assists in retain ing the reentrant lip 48 of the counterflashing in position within the channel part 30. Below the reentnant lip 48, the counterflashing extends downwardly and inwardly to-' ward the wall surface 46 on an incline and the lower edge of the counterflashing is turned upwardly as at 52 and bears against the sealing laminae 54 which fit against the wall surface 46, all in the usual manner of reglet and counterflashing installation. Each reglet section is formed of extruded metal and, therefore, it is relatively rigid. The counterflashing, on the other hand, is formed of relatively light sheet metal and, therefore, it is yieldable and resilient to the end that the reentrant lip 48 thereof is compressible and may be snapped into and out of the channel part 30 of each reglet section as desired.

I order to facilitate installation of the reglet assembly for proper end-to-end alignment of the various sections thereof, the aforementioned splines 22 are provided. To accommodate these splines, each reglet section is provided with upper and lower opposed channel-shaped guideways 56 and 58, these guideways being provided on the reglet section forwardly of the vertical wall 40. A depending longitudinally extending rib 60 near the base of the lower channel flange 36 establishes the upper guideway 56 while an upturned longitudinally extending rib 62 on a forwardly projecting flange 64 along the bottom edge of the reglet section establishes the lower channelshaped guideway 58.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 3, each spline 22 is in the form of a flat substantially rectangular sheet metal stamping having truncated corners 66. In the medial region of each spline, the lower edge thereof is "formed with 'a laterally and forwardly struck frangible lug 68, while'the upper edge thereof is'provided with a slot 70.

The intervening metal of the spline "between the slot 70 the channel-shaped guideways 56 and 5-8 and is slid endwise until such time as the lug 68 engages the adjacent end edge of the section 14. The spline is reversible in that it maybe installed either end first. 'It is also reversible in that it may be inverted. Thus, it is capable of being introduced into the channel-shaped guideways 5.6 and 58 in any one of four positions of orientation. .Although in the drawings itis illustrated as being installed in the guideways 56 and 58 with the lug 68 being directed forwardly so that it engages the adjacent end edge of the rib 62 of the reglet section 14, as best seen in ,FIG. 6, a face reversal ofthe spline will bring the lug 68 into engagement with the lower portions of the adjacent end edge of the vertical wall 40 of the bracket portion 32 of the reglet section 14. Alternatively, a'top-to-bottom reversal of the spline .22 will bring the lug '68 into engagement with either the adjacent end edge of the depending rib 60 or the upper portion of the adjacent end edge of the vertical wall 40, as the case may be. Where the spline 22-is installed in either .of the two positions of whichit is capable of assuming with the lug 68 in the lower region of the spline, the slot 70 will assume a position such as has been shown in FIG. :2 where the outwardly bowed portion or web 72 assumes a binding or-wedging engagement in the upper channel-shaped guideway 56 of the reglet section 14. If the spline 22 is installed in either of the two positions of which it is capable of assuming with the lug 68 in the upper region of the spline, the web 72 will similarly assume a binding position in the lower channel-shaped guideway 58 of the reglet section 14.

After the spline 22 has thus been installed in the guideways 56 and 58 of the reglet section 14 in any one of the four ways outlined above, for example, in the manner illustrated in the drawings, the reglet section 16 is telescoped over the spline 22 so that the upper and lower channel-shaped guideways 56 and 58 thereof enter over the upper and lower edges of the spline. The section 16 is then pushed along the spline until the lug 68 of the spline is seized between the opposed end edges of the ribs 62 of the two reglet sections 14 and 16. This serves to locate the lower edge of the reglet section 16 with respect to the lower edge of the reglet section 14. Thereafter, the section 16 may be rocked, so to speak, on the lug 68 to bring the upper edge thereof into true alignment with the upper edge of the section 14, at which time the outwardly bowed web 72 of the spline 22 will be friction-tight within the upper channel-shaped guideway 56 of the reglet section 16 and will serve to hold said reglet section 16 in substantially ri-gid alignment and connected relation with the reglet section 14. The reglet section 16 may then be nailed in its proper position against the wall surface 46.

The corner installation involving the reglet sections 12 and 14 may be made in substantially the same manner as that described in connection with installation of the sections 14, 16. It is merely necessary to bend the associated spline 22 to provide two spline wings which extend at right angles to each other, with the bend being made along a vertical line passing through the slot 70 and alongside the lug 68.

After agiven reglet installation has been effected under normal temperature conditions, the installation will remain intact. 'However, in the event that an inordinate temperature rise takes place and thermal expansion of the reglet sections results, the endwise thrust of the sec tions'upon the intervening spline lugs 68 will deform or crush these lugsto the extent necessary to accommodate the thermal elongation. Otherwise, the installation is not disturbed and, upon a decrease in temperature, the opposed or adjacent ends of the various reglet sections willshift :back to their normal positions, leaving the deformed lug between them. Obviously, in designing the splines 22, the width of the lugs 68 will be no less than the expected degree of reglet elongation with a slight margin of safety being added so that the residual metal of the lugs 68, after a maximum crushing effect has taken place, will not distort the end edges of the adjacent reglet sections.

In order to close the gaps between reglet sections and which remain in the reglet assembly after the installation thereof has been completed to the extent described above, these gaps may be covered 'by'the application thereto of tape-like adhesive strips of elastomeric filler material (not shown). Such strips may be pressed int-o the seam-like gaps and allowed to overlap the adjacent side edges of all forwardly exposed and accessible-surface areas ofthe adjacent reglet sections.

The invention isnot to belirnited to the exact arrangement 10f parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with two substantially identical extruded metal reglet sections positioned in end-to-end alignment, each section comprising a channel part presenting a forwardly and downwardly opening channel designed for reception therein of counterflashing, and a bracket part presenting a vertical wall designed for attachment to a roof wall, said channel p-art having a top flange and a bottom flange, a vertical rib formed on and depending from said bottom flange in close proximity to said vertical wall and defining, in combination therewith, a first downwardly opening channel-shaped guideway, a forwardly extending flange on said vertical wall remote from said bottom flange, and a vertical rib formed on said forwardly extending flange, projecting upwardly therefrom, and defining, in combination with said vertical Wall, a second upwardly opening channel-shaped guideway opposing said first channel-shaped guideway, of a con necting spline for said reglet sections in the form of an elongated flat plate having parallel side edges and having its opposite ends friction-ally received in said opposed guideways of the two reglet sections respectively, and a frangible lug projecting laterally from said spline, interposed between the adjacent ends of the two reglet sections, and designed for contact with said ends in the event of undue thermal elongation of the reg-let sections.

2. The combination with two substantially identical extruded metal reglet sections positioned in end-to-end alignment, each section comprising a channel part presenting a forwardly opening channel designed for reception therein of counterflashing, and a bracket part presenting a vertical wall designed for attachment to a roof wall, said bracket part being provided with a pair of opposed narrow channel guideways each having channel sides and a channel bottom, of a connecting spline for said reglet sections in the form of an elongated flat plate 7 having parallel side edges and having its opposite ends frictionally received in the opposed guideways of the two reglet sections respectively, and a frangible lug projecting laterally from said spline, interposed between the adjacent ends of the two reglet sections, and designed for cont-act therewith to prevent contact between said ends in the event of undue thermal elongation of the reglet sections.

3. The combination with two substantially identical extruded metal reglet sections positioned in end-to-end alignment, each section comprising a channel part presenting a forwardly opening channel designed for reception therein of counterfiashing, and a bracket part presenting a vertical wall designed for attachment to a roof wall, said bracket part being provided with a pair ofopposed narrow channel guideways each having channel sides and a channel bottom, of a connecting spline for said reglet sections in the form of an elongated flat plate having parallel side edges and having its opposite ends frictionally received in the opposed guideways of the two reglet sections respectively, and a frangible lug struck laterally from one side edge of said spline, interposed between the adjacent ends of the two reglet sections, and designed for contact therewith to prevent contact between said ends in the event of undue thermal elongation of the reglet sections.

4. The combination with two substantially identical extruded metal reglet sections positioned in end to-end alignment, each section comprising a channel part presenting a forwardly opening channel designed for reception therein of counterfiashing, and a bracket part pre senting a vertical wall designed for attachment to a roof wall, said bracket part being provided with a pair of opposed narrow channel guideways each having channel sides and a channel bottom, of a connecting spline for said reglet sections in the form of an elongated fiat plate having parallel side edges and having its opposite ends frictionally received in the opposed guideways of the two reglet sections respectively, a frangible lug projecting laterally from one side edge of said spline, interposed between the adjacent ends of the two reglet sections, and contacting said ends to prevent contact between said ends in the event of undue thermal elongation of the reglet sections, the other side edge of said spline being provided with an outwardly bowed web having wedging and binding engagement with adjacent channel bottoms of the two reglet sections.

5. The combination with two substantially identical extruded metal reglet sections positioned in end-to-end alignment, each section comprising a channel part presenting a forwardly opening channel designed for reception therein of counterflashing, and a bracket part presenting a vertical wall designed for attachment to a roof wall, said bracket part being provided with a pair of opposed narrow channel guideways each having channel sides and a channel bottom, of a connecting spline for said reglet sections in the form of an elongated flat plate having parallel side edges and having its opposite ends frictionally received in the opposed guideways of the two reglet sections respectively, a frangible lug projecting laterally from one side edge of said spline, interposed between the adjacent ends of the two reglet sections, and contacting said ends to prevent contact between said ends in the event of undue thermal elongation of the reglet sections, said spline being formed with a slot in the medial region thereof adjacent to the other side edge thereof and defining, in combination with said latter side edge, a narrow web, said web being bowed outwardly beyond the general confines of said latter side edge and having Wedging binding engagement with adjacent channel bottoms of the two reglet sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,711 7/1917 Cordes 52-61 1,862,433 6/1932 Ross 18936 2,857,861 10/1958 Trostle 52-94 2,934,184 4/1960 Moser 18936 3,093,931 6/ 1963 Waring 189-36 OTHER REFERENCES Designing With Aluminum Extrusions, copyrighted 1950 by Reynolds Metal Co., page 24.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Examiner. 

2. THE COMBINATION WITH TWO SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL EXTRUDED METAL REGLET SECTIONS POSITIONED IN END-TO-END ALIGNMENT, EACH SECTION COMPRISING A CHANNEL PART PRESENTING A FORWARDLY OPENING CHANNEL DESIGNED FOR RECEPTION THEREIN OF COUNTERFLASHING, AND A BRACKET PART PRESENTING A VERTICAL WALL DESIGNED FOR ATTACHMENT TO A ROOF WALL, SAID BRACKET PART BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF OPPOSED NARROW CHANNEL GUIDEWAYS EACH HAVING CHANNEL SIDES AND A CHANNEL BOTTOM, OF A CONNECTING SPLINE FOR SAID REGLET SECTIONS IN THE FORM OF AN ELONGATED FLAT PLATE HAVING PARALLEL SIDE EDGES AND HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ENDS FRICTIONALLY RECEIVED IN THE OPPOSED GUIDEWAYS OF THE TWO REGLET SECTIONS RESPECTIVELY, AND A FRANGIBLE LUG PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM SAID SPLINE, INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE TWO REGLET SECTIONS, AND DESIGNED FOR CONTACT THEREWITH TO PREVENT CONTACT BETWEEN SAID ENDS IN THE EVENT OF UNDUE THERMAL ELONGATION OF THE REGLET SECTIONS. 